His Prison, Her Prison pt. 2

[Qualapec the She-Wolf]

Cooter stared at his sobbing friend. What on earth had prison done to him?

He'd always believed in Bo's innocence...but had never visited him. And in truth the mechanic was afraid of how Bo would react to his presense there. When Bo hurt Luke, on accident of course, Cooter had been shocked to say the very least. Shocked at the whole situation. Shocked that Bo would have done it too begin with, shocked that he was convicted of attempted murder, shocked that Uncle Jesse and Daisy had abandoned Bo to whatever fate had in store for him. He'd talked to Daisy about it after the trial, and had gotten an earful in the process. It had become apparent they believed in Bo's guilt just as deeply as Cooter had believed in his friend's innocence.

However, the morning he was putting on his tie to go visit Bo, a thought had occord to him. A sliver of doubt. But that sliver struck one hell of a nerve. What if he was wrong? Could he handle the reality that Bo had intended to kill Luke?

Several days he'd meant to go. Once even driving so far as the prison, before that same framiliar fear hit him again.

And now, looking down at Bo...he couldn't believe he'd let his own fear get in the way of Bo's well being. Not to mention he couldn't imagine how horrible it must have been in prison, not knowing if anybody cared. Cooter knew he should have bitten the bullet and visited Bo, but his own fear had been too strong. His fear of finding out that Bo really was guilty.

~She-Wolf

[BoJamesDuke]

Cooter watched, swallowing back his own tears as Jesse was when they heard Bo's agaonised plea break from the sobbing throat.

"Please don't go....please Uncle Jesse don't go....don't wanna be alone again....please...."

Uncle Jesse shook his head and held him closer, kissing the top of Bo's head tenderly.

"I ain't going no where, I promise. I ain't never gonna let you suffer alone again...."

It was then that Cooter noticed the cuffs that were holding Bo's arms down, not allowing him to recipricate the hug to his Uncle. Cooter could tell Bo wanted to cling to Jesse and never let go again, otherwise he wouldn't have been sobbing out the plea he just had done.

He looked over to Enos, gesturing to the cuffs but Enos just sadly shook his head mouthing the reason they were on him. For a long time, nothing else filled the room except the sounds of Bo's frantic sobbing, no reassurance being taken from anyone's whispered words or the comforting hold Jesse had on him. It only stopped when Bo finally cried himself to sleep almost a half hour later and Jesse was able to gently guide him back down into the soft pillows.

[Qualapec the She-Wolf]

Enos sat down outside for a little while, Cooter joined him. The mechanic ran a hand through his combed hair, "Jeez...What happened to him?"

"He lost his family's love...he had to deal with it in prison. It was the only way he could have survived..."

"I shoulda visited him." Cooter said, regret filled his voice.

"I feel that way too, buddyroe...I can't believe we let it get like this."

"You think Bo can forgive us?"

"He needs our love...I don't think he'll start pointing fingers. I reckon he's just glad to have us all back."

~She-Wolf

[BoJamesDuke]

Cooter sighed and put his face in his hands, before he heard a voice call out to Enos and he looked up again, frowning slightly as Enos jumped up and ran to the guy, furiously shaking his hand.

"Oh thank god...Doc Micheals..."

The Doc smiled and shook his hand quickly back, before once more striding down the corridor with Enos.

"What's the update?"

Enos ran off what had been happening since Bo had been brought in, the part about blood being coughed up making the doctor's eyebrow arch and he nodded before walking swiftly into Bo's room, calling out loudly for a doctor to get in here with him.

[Qualapec the She-Wolf]

Michaels mind ran off about the different things it could be. Beaureguard was under a great deal of stress, it could be an ulcer in the stomach. Michaels hoped so. Or something could have fallen into the windpipe and was cutting things up? There was an incident a couple years ago of a man who swallowed a pin and started coughing up blood.

The doctor checked Bo's breathing to see if anything was obstructed. It didn't sound like it. "How many times has this happened?" He asked Enos.

The deputy responded, "Only once...while he was throwing up."

Biting his lip, Michaels tried to think. Bo hadn't eaten, it might have been the acid from his stomach eating a hole in the esophagus.

Or it could be deeper than that...all the way down to injuries in the intestines could cause blood to be coughed up.

Michaels wracked his brain with the possiblities. But finally deducted that he wouldn't know more unitil they ran the tests. Ordering a nurse over he told her what he needed her to do and hoped it was something so simple as an ulcer.

~She-Wolf

[BoJamesDuke]

The nurse rushed off to find the doctor's to preform the tests, not one person who came in the room questioned who this guy was or what he was doing. He was a doctor and seemed to know the most out of everyone what was happening with Bo.

Jesse held Bo tight as he strted to stir again as someone started jolting the bed. He looked up to find himself moving and started to breath havily in panic.

"W...what's goin' on...what's happenin'..."

Jesse was quick to grasp Bo's locked down hand and jog alongside the now moving bed.

"S'alright Bo...they's just gonna take ya down to the lab fer some tests is all....just ta see what's goin' on in that body o'yers....ya gotta be brave fer me boy....we'll all be right here....we ain't goin' no where...."

[Qualapec the She-Wolf]

Michaels walked up to Bo's bedside while other doctors took blood tests, mouth swabs, the works. "I'm going to numb the back of your throat to keep the gag reflex down."

"What're you gonna do?"

"I'm going to put a camera down your throat."

Bo leaned back into his pillows again, "That sounds pleasant." Though despite his sarcastic attitude, Michaels saw the younger man's hand grip his uncle's just a little harder.

The young doctor was actually starting to like the boy and his family. They were all nice people, who he suspected had just made a mistake, and they were trying to make up for it. He said as he held the small camera and wire up to check for anything that could make the situation worse, such as obscurities in the lining, or problems with the connection to the computer screen. "Alright..." He said with as much humor as he could manage, "Open wide."

~She-Wolf

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo wavered a little bit on the humerous order. Everything that the doctor's were doing were making him nervous and upset. He didn't like the fact that he was cuffed to the railing of the bed, which meant he wasn't in control at all....the doctors could do anything to him they liked without asking him. He couldn't escape, couldn't stop the doctors doing anything he didnt want them to.

Jesse felt the hand grip tighter and his heart ache as he saw Bo desperatly turn his head away, not wanting to go through with anything else, seeing the frightened, little boy look in his eyes. He directed said gaze up to meet his own and smiled softly.

"It's alright Bo....just do as the Doc says fer me and it'll all be over soon...."

Bo shook his head tearfully, too afraid to open his mouth to speak incase the doc did something sneaky. with a gentle sigh, Jesse leaed over the railings and softly ran his hand soothingly along Bo's jaw.

"C'mon Bo....i'll be right here with ya....yer gonna be okay Bo....Uncle jesse's here...."

[Qualapec the She-Wolf]

"Please," Michaels said, "We need to know what caused the bleed. If you're bleeding internally we need to find it and close it."

Bo looked up at him. Michaels had done nothing but try to help him. If it had been any other doctor, Bo would not have done what he did.

He opened his mouth so the doctor could numb it. Michaels used a wierd spray, counted to ten and told Bo to remain calm.

It felt wierd, but at least he wasn't gagging, which he probably would have been if not for the numbing spray. He coughed once, and the doctor told him to try and relax.

VVVVV

Daisy rolled the IV while Doc Walker pushed Luke's wheelchair. She didn't know if she was ready to face Bo or not, but what she knew for sure is that Luke was long overdue to see Bo again.

~She-Wolf

[BoJamesDuke]

After a short while, Bo managed to keep himself calm with Jesse's coaching, following his soothing breathing to aid him.

Micheals smiled as Bo relaxed and gently patted his shoulder.

"Well Done.....that's real good. Okay...now I need ya to remain like this while I slip this down yer throat. You may feel it a little but the important thing is ya dont panic....I'm right here and I ain't gonna let nothing happen to you...alright?"

Bo nodded gently, keeping his mouth open, not trusting himself to close it just in case he never opened it again through fear. He listened harder to jesse's breathing and closed his eyes as he saw the Doc mover over his head, focusing on the soothing breathing to keep him calm.

[Qualapec the She-Wolf]

It didn't quite hurt, it was just a uncomfortable. But Bo figured as long as he didn't breath and didn't think about throwing up he'd be alright.

"Keep it up, Bo. You're doing great." Uncle Jesse said again as Michaels focused on the screen.

"I'm not seeing any abnormalities in the esophagus...there might still be a bleed in the stomach. Any lower and we'll have to use a different method."

Bo attempted to inquire as to what that different method was. And that was probably one of the worst ideas he'd ever had. He started coughing and Michaels put a hand on his chest. Then he tried to tell Michaels to take it out, only resulting in more coughing. He wanted it out!

"Bo, whatever you do you cannot panic." The doctor said sternly, "Just try to settle down."

~She-Wolf

[BoJamesDuke]

But once more the feeling of being trapped and not being in control plauged Bo's mind. He heard the instruction but his mind was not willing to co operate with it, too focused on fighting the intrusion in the throat and keeping the surge of emotions running through the young man.

Jesse couldn't stop the tears that rolled down old cheeks as Bo fought against the restraints on his wrists, it pained him to have to pin Bo's hands to the bed to stop him digging the cold metal once more into bandages and flesh. He didn't want to be stern, he didn't want to have to appear as the strict Uncle he could be after four years of ignoring his youngest, but if something didnt change drastically Bo was going to hurt himself.

Using a tone he hadn't had to use in four years, the old 'You will obey me without question' tone and look, he spoke sharply to Bo.

"Beaureguard Duke you stop this right now!"

Bo looked up startled, his body falling limp underneath Jesse's hold. How long had it been since he had heard that from his Uncle....how long had he missed that. He still coughed a little, but he had stopped fighting so hard.

"Right....now....you just calm yerself down because, sick or no, i'll switch ya from here ta Hazzard and into Chickasaw in front o'all these people...."

Bo fought the tears welling in his eyes and forced himself to listen to what Jesse was saying, listen once more to the older man's soothing breathing, feel the old hand in his, slowly calming himself, instinctivly obeying what Jesse told him.

[Qualapec the She-Wolf]

Michaels searched without avail for a injury in Bo's stomach. "It might be a hole in the lining of the small intestine...But we won't be able to see it with this. It's only meant to go as far as the stomach. We'll have to wait and see if anything comes up on the tests. Right now we have to run some exrays, and a full body scan."

"Hey!" A female voice yelled from the doorway, "Mind if we join you?"

The first thing that came to his mind was 'no', but he recognized Daisy from earlier, then took a guess at who the guy in the wheelchair was, and also recognized Walker. Wow...he hadn't seen her since he finished residency here. "Walker? Are you still working in the Coma ward?"

She smiled and nodded, "Yep...and I work in the ER on the side. What do you do?"

Ah that inevitable question, "I'm a doctor at Atlanta State. er...was."

"Was?" Enos asked suddenly, "What happened?"

"Well uh...I was talking to the warden about Bo's case, and his nose started bleeding."

"Why was his nose bleeding?" Daisy voiced the question.

"Because that's where my fist landed." Michaels assumed what was going through their minds, "Don't worry, nobody will be coming to pick Bo up until he gets better. The good warden was cheating on his wife and I threatened to send the pictures to his wife."

~She-Wolf

[BoJamesDuke]

Usually everyone would have given a snort of laughter or some witty comment to this, but now everyone's eyes were fixed on the two forms of Bo and Luke.

Neither had spoken a word since Luke had been wheeled in, and everyone could see that at that moment, both the boys concentration was purley fixated on each other.

Bo looked over his older cousin, who was a complete contast to what Bo thought he would have been like. His head showed no signs of the injury he had sustained at the hands of Bo's terrible mistake. His skin had lost the bronzed look Bo could remember Luke always having and his muscles had lost their tone after four years of lack of use.

But the kind sparkle that Luke always seemed to have in his eyes remained the same, the aura of love and protection of his family never left his composure. But, more amazingly, the look of trust and faith in his younger cousin was shining just as brightly as the kind sparkle in Luke's eyes. After four years, after what Bo had done to him, Luke still trusted and loved his younger cousin with an unwavering certainty that Bo was innocent.

Luke needed no words for Bo to know that, and Bo was finally able, as Doc Micheals removed the camera from his throat to choke out.

"Luke...."

[Qualapec the She-Wolf]

Walker wheeled Luke closer to Bo, and the oldest cousin reached a hand out to Bo's cuffed hand and squeezed. "Bo..." He said warmly.

Bo smiled, an actual smile, pure joy and comfort at seeing his cousin, his best friend, his brother, for the first time in four years. "Luke...I'm sorry."

Luke's hand tightend around Bo's, a sign that there was nothing to say he was sorry for. Luke used his one free hand to scribble on his notebook: 'You got nothing to be sorry for cuz. This whole thing should have never happened.'

~She-Wolf

[BoJamesDuke]

Bo looked confused down at the pad of paper, the realization only just hitting him....it couldn't be....he hadn't...had he...

"Luke....Luke ya....can't....ya can't talk can ya?"

Bo's heart that had been so warmed by his older cousin's presence suddenly felt like ice, and plummeted to the pits of his stomach as Luke hesitated but then shook his head.

Bo dropped the hand that he had been clinging to like he had been scolded.....he had wrecked Luke's life...wrecked everybody's life....heck Luke was in a wheelchair which probably meant he couldn't walk either, Luke wouldn't be able to live his life like they all had done before....he had divided and split their family....

[Qualapec the She-Wolf]

Tears filled Bo's eyes as he looked up at Doc Walker, "How bad was the brain damage?"

"Minimal considering the trauma. He can't talk but he does have some vocal control. I believe with time and speech therapy he'll talk normally again."

"And the wheelchair?"

"He hasn't moved in four years...he'll also need arobic therapy."

Bo grinned with relief as the tears poured down his face, "...It's a good thing you're head's hardest in Hazzard ain't it?" There wasn't much humor behind the joke, but he tried and got a smile from Luke. Who suddenly wrote down on the notebook again:

'I'll get you out of those cuffs cuz. They'll have to listen to my statement.'

"I hope so, Luke. I hope so."

~She-Wolf

[BoJamesDuke]

Luke looked once more over his baby cousin. His appearence upon entering the room had been a big shock to Luke.

The life and energy seemed to have just disappeared from his cousin's usually positive demeanour, his blue eyes were dull and lifeless and he too had lost the healthy tan. HIs muscles, althought they had been obviously worked on still looked like they couldn't support the young man anymore than Luke's could support him.

What had hit him hardest though was the fact that Bo was locked to the bed, like a common criminal....which of course lots of people thought was true. Luke just couldn't understand how anyone could possibly think that of Bo Duke though, especially not those who knew him best.

He ran his fingers over the cuffs, frowning slightly as he finally spotted the bandages and instantly fearing the worst. He picked up the notepad again and scribbled out.

"What happened here? To yer wrists?"

Bo looked the note over then looked down at his wrists and shrugged.

"I don't actually know....s'when I was delerious I think...."

Enos quickly stepped forward and told Luke what had happened...which of course instantly brought forth many other questions about what had been happening with Bo from his concerned older cousin.

To Luke, nothing else mattered but giving Bo back all that he had lost. His life, his confidence, his energy, his humor, everything that was missing from Bo that Luke so dearly missed already. If his own injuries never got better Luke didn't care, so long as Bo could be back beside him as normal...

[Qualapec the She-Wolf]

'We have to get a judge here as soon as possible. To hear my statement.' Luke scribbled down quickly.

"Luke," Enos began, "Neither of you are in the condition for that kind of stress."

Biting his lip in anger Luke wrote down some more, 'What's bad for my condition is seeing him like this.'

"We'll see what we can do," Uncle Jesse said, "But you boys gettin' better is all that matters to me."

'Do you think he can get better if he's locked up like a criminal?'

~She-Wolf

[BoJamesDuke]

at any other time Jesse would have reprimanded Luke a dozen times over for all the sassing but for once he actually agreed with Luke. Keeping Bo chained up like he was an animal much less a criminal was creul and also a harsh reminder to his family of the mistakes that had been made.

Bo of course couldn't see the exhcanged conversation between Luke and the others but from their spoken repsonses he got a pretty good idea what it was about. He hated the fact that Luke would instantly start to worry and possibly make himself worse because of something that was happening to him.

Just as he was about to speak up, he cried out in an uncontrolable wail doubling up as much as he could, unable to clutch his stomach.

[Qualapec the She-Wolf]

"What's happening!" Walker shouted, slipping her stethescope on.

"I...I don't know." Michaels put his arm on Bo's shoulder, "Bo, where does it hurt?"

Bo writhed on the bed for a moment before he finally gathered the frame of mind to answer. "...My stomach.."

"Bo...Bo this is very important: upper stomach or lower stomach?"

Bo didn't answer due to another long period of grimasing. "How am I supposed....to know."

Michaels thought fast, trying to rephrase the question, "Does the brunt of the pain feel more like it's closer to your chest or too your intestines?"

Bo tried to consentrate, but it hurt how was he supposed to focus with pain like that. He struggled to process what Michaels said, and struggled even further to come up with an answer. He opened his mouth to tell Michaels...but no sound came out...just a wave of crimson blood from his lips.

~She-Wolf

[BoJamesDuke]

Cooter had to turn round and grab Daisy by the waist as she screamed hysterically and sobbed, hurrying her out the door, followed quickly by enos who also looked about ready to throw up himself.

Jesse remained by Bo's side, worried so deeply to the pit of his stomach and wanting nothing more than to switch the roles so he could be going through this instead of Bo. He wrapped his arm around Bo's shoulders and held him gently as Bo let out a wail of horror at the sight of the crimson liquid and the pain in his stomach.

[Qualapec the She-Wolf]

"Bo!" Michaels said strongly. Too late. He'd lost any control he might have had over the boy's trust.

"You must have missed th ulcer." Walker hissed.

Michaels didn't try to deny it, doctors made mistakes like that all the time, and usually they ended up regretting it. He didn't like to accept the reality that he'd made a mistake, but he knew it was a possibility. "I..." he allowed himself only that moment before taking control again, "Get him to the OR right away. We need to find that ulcer and seal it. Mr. Duke?"

"Yes," Uncle Jesse said, the old man suddenly looked much more frail than he had the entire day.

Walker finished the question, "What is his blood type? We need it on standby in case he looses too much."

"O negative."

"Walker can you handle that?" Michaels said quickly, "I'll tell the surgeon what's going on."

As the nurses helped him wheel Bo away, all kinds of thoughts raced through Michaels mind. This boy had fought a war with his grief and guilt, the last twenty-four hours had been physically draining. It wouldn't be right for Bo to die after fighting so hard.

But as Michaels well knew, sometimes they did.

~She-Wolf

[BoJamesDuke]

Meanwhile all Luke could do in his wheelchair was reach up and stroke Bo's hair as soothingly as he could. Inside he was panicking so very much for his baby cousin, but outside he kept a clam composure, squeezing the hand and calling Bo's name loudly

"Bo!"

Bo looked over startled to Luke, still shaking madly and sobbing but still amazed that luke could say his name.

Luke didnt know what he was going to do now. In his head he had this whole speech planned about how Bo couldn't leave now, couldn't give up after four years of fighting to bring them back to each other. But once more his lips his brain and his throat just wouldn't co operate. But he had to tell Bo something, had to.

Jesse could see the frustration in Luke and reached over, pressing a hand to hsi shoulder.

"Take it easy luke..."

Luke however shook his head and battled with himself to say something, anything that would support Bo. Bo needed this now more than ever and he was not prepared to let his youngest cousin down.

[Qualapec the She-Wolf]

Walker was just getting the bags of blood ready when they entered the ER. And in that time Bo had spit up blood twice. "Deputy!" Michael called, "We need to get him in for a full body scan. Mr. Duke. Does you're nephew have any metal implants? Metal plates? Anything like that?"

Uncle Jesse thought for a moment, "No...I don't think he does."

Michaels knew what that meant, it meant he wasn't really sure. "Well, get the ex-ray machine in here. I want to be sure."

"Why?" Uncle Jesse asked.

"It consists of a powerful magnet. If Bo has any metals inside him there's a chance it'll pull it out. Do damage to the machine and a trauma injury that could kill Bo." It felt good to be working in a hospital again with the right equipment and the right amount of staff.

Bo writhed on the table again, screaming and bringing up a fourth flow of blood.

Not to mention the right amount of painkillers.

~She-Wolf